The Forgotten
by HBob
Summary: What would have happened if Faith had returned to Sunnydale earlier. Takes place after The Gift...slight slash later on
1. Chapter 1

**THE FORGOTTEN**

**Chapter One**

Willow Rosenberg stands overlooking the grave that holds her best friend. She lays the lilies against the gravestone and brushes her fingers against the cold stone. As her finger traces the engraved 'B', tears slowly form in her green eyes. A gentle hand is placed on her shoulder, and she leans into the touch, knowing that her love, Tara, is supporting her. It has been two long months since they had lost Buffy, and the pain remains with them through each passing day. Willow lays her head against the grass, and brushes Tara's hand off her shoulder. The blonde moves away from the redhead, knowing that she wishes to be left alone with her friend.

Tara moves away slowly, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to stay warm, or perhaps an attempt to feel safe. These past months had been torture on the Scoobies. Xander had thrown himself into work, insisting that his place in the family was to be the breadwinner. Anya continued to work at the Magic Box, assisting Giles occasionally. Dawn was preparing to start school once again. The town had rebuilt Sunnydale High and Dawn would be attending in the fall. Willow and Tara had moved into the Summer's house, watching over Dawn. Willow and Spike concentrated on slaying, for the most parts. They collaborated at sundown, and went out slaying. The others helped sometimes, but a powerful witch and a vampire appeared to need little help. Both were battling demons of their own, which helped them battle the demons in the world. It gave them a little extra 'oomph' as Willow put it. And Tara slid easily into the 'mom' role. She watched over everyone, always remaining in the background unless needed. She felt most comfortable in the shadows.

Tara was brought out of her daze as Willow's hand slid into hers. The blonde gave her partner a gentle squeeze and began to lead her to the car. Tara stopped suddenly as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. A bolt of electricity shot through Tara's body, surged around her. _Something was coming. _ Willow's worried face met Tara's. "Everything ok, baby?" Willow asked, placing her hand on the small of Tara's back.

Tara nodded, "Y-yeah, I-I'm just cold," she replied, gripping the redhead's hand tighter.

"Well we'll have to do something about that, won't we," Willow asked, raising her eyebrow at the blonde.

Tara nodded and smiled sheepishly as she opened the car door. Glancing back at Buffy's grave, she noticed a figure standing in front of the stone. Turning her head slightly to the side, Tara shot a confused look in their direction. Tara felt Willow tug at her sleeve, so she closed the door and started the car. Shooting the figure one more puzzled glance, Tara put the car into drive and started back towards the Magic Box.

Faith watched Willow and Tara pull away and pulled her dark, wavy hair back into a tight ponytail. She knelt down beside Buffy's grave, placing her hand on the damn soil. "It's really true, B. You're gone?" Faith's voice cracked as she leaned her forehead against the cold stone. "You know, I was supposed to be the first to die. I had it coming. I'm the bad slayer, B. You get the glory and the good life. This isn't how things are supposed to turn out." Sighing, the dark slayer curled up next to the tree that toward over the gravesite. Closing her eyes, Faith pictured the blonde slayer.

"Faith?" Buffy asked, "I'm dead, shouldn't I be free of these slayer dreams by now?"

"I don't know B, but you know how I like to cause waves in this system," Faith smirked, crossing her arms. "You know you can't stay dead, right?"

Buffy sighed, "And why not? I've earned a little peace after all this fighting."

"You've had two months rest B; I'd call that quite the vacation."

Buffy shook her head at the dark slayer, "It's your turn to fight, Faith. If you really want me back, you'll find a way. But I'm not going to make this easy for you. It's not our style." She grinned as the dark slayer began to pout, "And don't pout, it's not YOUR style."

"Your little Scooby pals can't go on without you, ya know. They're falling apart, I can feel it. You can feel it too, I know it," Faith said, moving closer to the older slayer.

"Like I said Faith, if you really want me back, you'll find a way. Things are already in motion, things that you can't stop. Now you can either save yourself or," Buffy jammed the knife into Faith's side, "or you can join me."

Faith jolted up into awaiting arms. Confused by her dream and current surroundings, Faith swung her arm wildly, connecting with a skull. Faith heard a sickening thud as the body fell to the ground. Gazing at the ground, Faith gasped. "Blondie?" The blonde witch lay on the ground, a pool of blood forming on her head. "Great job, Faith. Way to make an entrance." Picking up the blonde with ease, Faith carried the injured blonde to Sunnydale Memorial. She gave the nurse Red's number. Faith kissed Tara gently on her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry. I…I didn't know."

Tara shook and looked up at Faith, "I know," she said, before slipping back into unconsciousness.


	2. Indigestion

**Chapter Two - Indigestion**

Willow burst through the metal doors, nearly pummeling an orderly in the process. Running to the nurse's station, Willow imagined the worse. When she had heard that phone ring, she just knew that something had happened. Tara had snuck out after they'd returned home, for whatever reason, Willow didn't know. The nurse pointed her in the direction of Tara's room. Hands shaking, Willow turned the knob and entered the silent room.

"Hey sweetie," Tara said, turning towards the redhead as she entered. Noticing the panic stricken look on her lover's face, Tara's smile quickly faded, "I-Is everything alright? D-did something h-happ…" Tara's sentence was abruptly interrupted as she was enveloped in a hug by the sobbing redhead.

"When I got the call, I thought…I thought you were…" Willow's muffled voice trailed off as the blonde gently rubbed her back. Willow's tear-filled green eyes met Tara's soothing blue ones and a small smile began to form on the redhead's face. "But you're ok. You're still with me."

"Shh, sweetie it's ok. It's just a scratch," Tara said, motioning to her wound.

Willow placed her hand on the white bandage that now covered Tara's beautiful hair. "But what happened? Where did you go? How could you not let me know that you were leaving? Something could have happened…well something did happen, but something _worse_ could have happened. What if you couldn't protect yourself? What if…"

"Shh," Tara said, covering Willow's mouth with hers. Pulling away from the kiss, she continued "I n-normally love Willowbabble, but if you want answers then these," she said, pointing to Willow's swollen lips, "need to stay closed." Willow made the 'zipper' motion across her lips and smiled at the blonde. "Thanks. Well, I went back to Buffy's grave. I just, I wanted to talk to her. And I guess, I guess I was attacked from behind. I'm not sure how I ended up here."

"Well thank god you did. Who knows what could have happened."

"Nothing did, Willow. I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine. Its ok, baby. I-I'm sorry I made you worry," Tara said, placing a soothing hand on Willow's face.

Sighing, Willow leaned forward and rested her head on Tara's chest. "I just couldn't imagine what kind of monster would want to hurt you."

Faith threw her bags on the floor of the shady motel room which, for whatever reason, she chose to rent. "Well, guess it's an upgrade from prison," she said aloud, jumping onto the mattress. She cringed as she heard the springs creak beneath her. "Or maybe not." After dropping Tara off at the hospital, Faith had decided to stay in town for awhile. See the sights, maybe fight a vamp or two…help out the Scoobies. Faith chuckled slightly, I'm actually fighting for the good team this time, she thought. Glancing at the clock, Faith sighed. "Well, I suppose a little late-night slaying couldn't hurt," she said, grabbing her trademark leather coat and a stake, "I got a little energy to burn."

Faith headed out to the usual haunts, staking a few vamps in the process, but no big baddies to beat down. Turning the corner, Faith checked her watch. In doing so, she never noticed the fight breaking out in front of her. She heard the screams and looked up. A young woman was being attacked by 3 demons, all covered in blue-green scales. "Hey!" Faith shouted, running to the young woman's aide. The demons released the woman and advanced on Faith. Well, she thought, that's one way to get their attention. "Did anyone ever tell you that you shouldn't play with your food? Indigestion is such a bitch," Faith quipped, punching the first demon in his midsection. As he fell, Faith grabbed his ankle and swung him into the second, causing both to topple to the ground. Faith turned towards the third but a claw struck her from the side. "A fourth? Well now these odds are a bit more my style," Faith said, kicking the demon's feet out from underneath him.

She jumped up and pulled a knife from her jacket, "Ok, as much as I love these little workouts, I got places to go, people to s-…" Faith was cut off as a demon backhanded her. She tried to regain her footing, but she was caught off guard by a fifth demon. "Now this really isn't playing fair." She rose to her feet, but cried out in pain as she felt a hit from behind. The sickening sound of her bones breaking caused panic to rise in her throat.

She tried to stand, but her broken leg wouldn't allow her to. The demons swarmed around her, each taking their turn beating her. Faith used all her strength to push two demons from her. Sprinting, ignoring the pain in her leg, she ran from the circling demons. Fear and anger were her guide as she raced into the night.

Knowing that she couldn't make it to the hospital, Faith was left with only one option. Knocking on that familiar door on Revello Drive, Faith struggled to hold onto consciousness.

As the door opened, Faith's pleading eyes met the worried stare of Willow. "Faith?"

"Help…me," Faith managed to beg, before finally succumbing to the pain and falling in a heap on the ground outside the door.


	3. A Wicked Punch

**Chapter Three: One Wicked Punch**

"Willow, you sounded so urgent on the phone what's…"Giles' voice trailed off as his eyes fell upon the beaten slayer. "Oh good lord."

"She…she asked me to help her. I…I didn't know who else to call," Willow said, glancing at Faith. The broken brunette lay on her back, writing in pain as Dawn gently wiped a damp cloth across her forehead. Willow turned her gaze back to Giles. "I…I called Angel. He told me that she was released a week ago. I think the Council pulled some strings." Willow paused, looking once more at the fallen slayer, "He told me that she's really changed, Giles. I don't know if we can believe him or if we can ever trust her again…but look at her. She's…I don't know what else we can do."

"Hey guys, she's starting to come around," Dawn said, backing away slightly from the brunette as she opened her eyes. Even though Faith was barely able to breathe, the young slayer still stuck fear in Dawn's heart.

Willow and Giles crowded around Faith, worried looks covering their faces. "F-Faith?" Willow asked in response to Faith's silence. Faith was usually filled with sarcastic and dirty sayings; silence was a frightening alternative.

Faith's eyes met Willow's, "Hey Red," she said, attempting a grin. She moved to get up, but pain soon brought her crashing back down. "Ow, son-of-a…" She winced and grabbed her leg. "Damn, blue guys got me good, huh? Hey Half-Pint, wanna give me a hand here?"

Dawn slowly inched her way towards the slayer. Turning towards Giles she asked, "Are you sure she's not evil anymore."

Giles nodded his head, "Angel says she's quite rehabilitated."

"I am still in the room, guys," Faith said, a tad bit annoyed that they didn't trust her. But I guess that comes with the territory, she thought. "Look, I'm not evil, I'm not here to hurt anyone, and I'm still in a world of pain, so could someone please…" she gestured to her injured leg.

Dawn moved in front the Faith and stared her down. "Hey D, what's with the Jedi Death Stare?" she grinned at the young Summers girl, but her grin was soon wiped away when Dawn's hand slapped against her cheek. "Damn," she said, rubbing the handprint that now decorated her face, "Half-Pint packs a full punch."

"Dawn?" Willow asked, placing her hands on Dawn's shoulders, "You ok?"

"That was for Buffy," Dawn said quietly, lowering her eyes from Faith's stare.

Faith's demeanor changed instantly, "Don't sweat it D. I hurt Big Sis…I hurt a lot of people…She'd be proud of you for that," her eyes Met Dawn's, "'Sides, you pack one wicked punch." Faith smirked when she saw the younger Summers crack a smile. "Now how about helping an ex-con get on her feet…literally?"

Dawn nodded and moved next to the slayer, who winced in pain at ever movement. Placing Faith's arms around her shoulder, Dawn carefully led the beaten woman to the bathroom. "You sure you're gonna be ok Faith?" Dawn asked, feeling slightly guilty about smacking the already wounded slayer.

"Five by five, Half-Pint," Faith looked down at her bloody leg, "Although I think I could use a shower, wash some of the grime off of me."

Dawn nodded her head and left the slayer alone. As soon as the door closed, Faith released the tension that she was feeling in her body. Gently she lifted her shirt over her bruised shoulders, cringing as the material ran over an open cut. She unzipped her leather pants, regretting her decision to wear this particular material as is clung to her broken leg. Unclasping her bra, she let the bloody piece of material fall to the floor. She slipped out of her panties and into the awaiting shower.

As the warm water slid over her broken body, Faith's face contorted in pain. Her shattered leg throbbed and she threw her arms against the wall to balance herself. Gritting her teeth together, Faith whimpered as the jet of warm water hit her face. Damn demons, she thought, fucked me up…if I would have been on my game… Faith slammed her fist against the shower wall, causing the tiles to crack. "Damnitt!" she shouted, leaning into the water. Allowing the water to cascade over her curves once more, Faith slowly shut off the water. She wrapped herself in a towel and wiped the mirror clean of the steam. Sighing, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, but she didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. The girl in the mirror was weak, beaten, crying…this was not Faith. Faith was strong and confident, always ready for a battle. Something was dead behind Faith's eyes…her passion. "Oh Buffy," she said, lowering her gaze, "wish you were here right now girl. I could use my sister slayer…"

* * *

Faith opened the bathroom door and noticed a pile of clothes lying on the ground. She quickly changed and hobbled down the stairs. "Hey guys," she said, noticing that Willow, Giles, and Dawn were sitting in the living room.

"Faith, we were just talking about you," Giles said, barely glancing at the slayer.

"All good things, I hope," Faith joked.

"Well, I've contacted Angel and he's expecting you next week," Giles continued, returning his gaze to Faith.

Faith's brow furrowed, "Actually G-Man, I was planning on making good old Sunny-D my home sweet home."

Giles sighed, "I really don't think that's a good idea Faith."

"Let her stay," Dawn said, causing the dark slayer to cast a confused look in her direction. "I trust you," she stated.

"Well…I don't know," Giles started.

"Well I do. She's staying."

"Dawn, maybe Giles is right," Willow whispered, "We don't know for sure that she's…"

"She is. I saw her face when I mentioned Buffy. She's hurting, Willow," Dawn started, "And she's gonna stay here now."

"O…Ok," Willow said, still wary of the slayer, but was willing to give her another chance.

"Thanks Dawn," Faith said.

Dawn giggled, but stopped after receiving a confused look from Faith, "You used my actual name. It's funny to me…I was just starting to get used to Half-Pint and D."

"Well in that case," Faith said, throwing her arm around Dawn, "Care to show me around a few of the old haunts, D?"

"I think that best wait till tomorrow," Giles said, whisking the young Summers up the stairs.

"Sure thing G-Man. See ya in the morning D," Faith said, grinning at Dawn, who waved in return. Turning to Willow, Faith continued, "Look Red, I just wanted to thank you for being so cool with me."

Willow smiled, "If Dawn trusts you, then so do I."

"No, I just mean it's great that you're accepting me. Especially after everything that happened with Blondie…"

"Blondie?" Willow's eyes grew wide, "You…You're the one who put Tara in the hospital!" Her eyes grew dark as she glared at Faith.

"Look Red, it was an accident…I didn't mean…"

"Silence! You put her in the hospital! You attacked her! I knew we shouldn't have trusted you. Get out!"

"But Willow, it was…" Faith started.

"Get out, now!" Willow shouted, her eyes glowing in anger.

Faith slowly back away towards the door. She turned the knob and stepped outside, "I'm sorry," she said, closing the door and walking back to her apartment. "I'm sorry…"


	4. A Hot Blonde

**Chapter Four: A Hot Blonde**

Tara opened the door to the Summers house to find a very aggravated witch sitting on the bottom step. Willow jumped up and pulled the stunned blonde into a tight hug, burying her face in Tara's hair. "It's good to see you too?" Tara said, smiling as Willow pulled her closer. "Eventually you will need to let go, though."

Willow pulled away and looked into Tara's deep blue eyes, "I'm just so glad she didn't kill you."

"Who? Willow, sweetie, what are you talking about?" Tara led Willow to the couch. Sitting, she faced the redhead and placed a gentle hand on her knee.

"Faith," she stated, "She…she came here, and pretended to be good…and we believed her."

"F-Faith was here?" Tara asked, stunned that the slayer had made her presence public.

Willow nodded, "I didn't know, baby. I'm so sorry."

"Sweetie, slow down. What are you sorry about?"

Placing her hand on Tara's cheek, Willow responded, "I didn't know that it was Faith who hurt you. She used us. I told her that I trusted her, and she had betrayed me all along. She tried to kill you!"

Tara shook her head and pulled the redhead into a tight embrace, "Oh, n-no sweetie, she didn't."

Now it was Willow's turn to be stunned and confused, "What? But…but she told me. She was the one who hurt you."

"Yes, but it was an accident. I f-found her lying on Buffy's g-grave. She…she was having a n-nightmare, so I shook her arm to wake her up. I…I startled h-her. It w-was an accident."

Willow allowed a tear to slide down her face, "So she was telling the truth. And I…I just sent her away. We have to find her."

Tara nodded, "I'll get your coat sweetie," she said, moving towards the door. "I think I know where she's headed." The redhead nodded and followed her girlfriend out the door.

* * *

Faith sat by Buffy's grave, slowly tracing her fingers along the cool stone. She took another swig from the bottle, wincing as the burning liquid ran down her throat. "Damnitt B! You…you fucked things up now!" she said, her words slurring slightly as the alcohol took effect. "You…you didn't even know what we coulda had. We…we woulda been somethin' B!" She stood up, facing the grave, swaying slightly, bottle still in hand. She looked at the nearly empty bottle, "Fuck!" she shouted, throwing it at the grave. The bottle hit the grave and shattered, sending shards of glass to the ground. Faith fell to her knees, tears slightly filling her eyes. "Why did you leave me?" 

"Faith?" a soft voice came from behind the slayer. Faith didn't even need to turn to know who it was.

"Hey Red," she replied, wiping away the remnants of tears from her eyes. Turning she faced the witch, only to notice that the shy blonde witch stood next to her companion. "Oh, here to finish me off, are ya?"

Willow shook her head, "Come home Faith."

Confusion covered the dark slayer's Faith as she began to lose her composure. "Home?"

Tara held out her hand to Faith, nodding her head as Faith's eyes met hers. Faith took Tara's hand in her own and the three headed back to Willow's car. Once at the Summer's house, Willow led Faith up to Buffy's room. "You can stay in here. Dawn said she wanted you too." Faith nodded and entered the room of the departed blonde slayer. Her senses were alerted to Buffy's scents around the deserted room. A tear crept to her eyes, but she rubbed it away, putting on Willow's trademark 'Resolve Face'. Throwing off her shoes, Faith relaxed on the bed, still able to feel the alcohol floating around in her stomach. She grumbled, rolling to her side, feeling the 'swish, swish' in the process. Slowly, her body succumbed to well-needed slumber.

* * *

"Faith!" Buffy shouted, slapping her fist against Faith's cheek. "What's with these constant invites into your dreams?" 

The dark slayer shrugged, "Guess I just can't resist a hot blonde." Noting Buffy's annoyed expression, she continued, "It's not like I planned it this time. Must be the Powers-That-Occasionally-Annoy."

Buffy nodded, crossing her arms. "It looks like they are trying to get your attention. Still haven't picked up on your assignment yet, huh?"

"Naw, I've always been a slow learner. Actually, normally I don't actually do the assignment, so much as copy it from the class brain," thinking, she continued, "I wonder if Red got the memo."

"No," Buffy shook her head, "You still haven't got it."

"Well, if it's so urgent that I need to know, why don't you stop Nancy- Drewing me and just tell me the plan?" Faith shouted, annoyed at all the games.

"Because, Faith, that's not the way these things work, remember?"

Faith sighed, frustration running high. "Well let's see. Last time you told me that if I really wanted you back, I'd find a way. That must mean that I'm the key to getting you back."

Buffy smiled, "See, not so slow after all."

"So, if I'm the key, where's the door? Where's the damn house?"

"Closer than you think Faith. It's a pretty little house, actually. Tiny, yet sturdy, white picket fence, red roof. Quite adorable really," Buffy said, watching as the dark slayer began pacing. "You'll figure it out eventually, Faithy."

A distant buzzing rang through the air, "Guess that's my cue to go," Faith said sadly, glancing once more at the older slayer. "Am I gonna see you again?"

"Maybe, in your dreams."

"There's that bad Buffy humor that I remember," Faith replied, grinning.

Buffy smiled, a sense of longing in her eyes. "Take care of my family Faith."

"I promise, B. You'll see them soon enough."

Faith turned away from the blonde and closed her eyes. "Oh, and Faith."

"Yeah B?"

The blonde smiled, "Be careful."

Faith grinned, "Always, B. Always." The lights flashed and Faith found herself, once again, in the blonde slayer's bed. "Damn B, always with the cryptic messages." Faith knew only once person who might have the answer she was looking for. Tomorrow Faith would take on the task of pumping Willow for information. Tomorrow. Tonight, however, tonight was meant for sleep. She relaxed her body and, this time, fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews. Sorry it's been taking me so long to update. I've had one vacation after another...and yet I still manage to look more pale than Casper. It's ridiculous! Anyways, I'll be gone for another week, but here's an update before I go. I am slowly but surely attempting to finish. Again, thanks for the reviews! Massive amounts of cookies to ya all!**


	5. Sister Slayers

**Ok, here's the deal. I was bored so I made a promo video for this story. It won't let me post the link to it on here, but if you want to view the video, simply IM me at coffeekrazed17, or email me at and let me know that you want to see it. I have a blast writing this story and I had a blast making the video! Hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am! And now, onto the story!**

**Chapter Five: Sister Slayers**

Faith opened her eyes as the sun streamed through the window, falling upon her slightly bruised face. Sitting up, she instantly regretted her decision to drink the previous night. Sighing, she remembered the dream she had shared with her sister slayer. "Damn B, confusing the hell outta me," she said aloud. She grabbed a white shirt, throwing it over her black lacy bra. Opening her door, she quietly crept down the stairs, peering around the corner into the living room. Seeing no one there, she made her way to the kitchen.

"Hey," Dawn said, startling Faith.

"Jeez, wear a bell D! Give me a heart attack here," Faith joked, clutching her chest. Turning towards the young Summer's, who was happily chomping away at a frozen waffle, Faith said, "Ah, breakfast." Sitting down on the stool across from Dawn, she reached over the counter to take a waffle, but Dawn moved her plate away.

"Uh, uh," she said, pushing an empty plate towards Faith, "Make your own. Toaster plus Eggo equals meal."

Pouting, Faith unwrapped the frozen meal and placed it in the toaster, "Jeez, been awhile since I've made my own food."

"Get used to it," Dawn said, "You really don't want Willow cooking for you. There was this whole incident with Macaroni and Cheese…we don't really like to talk about it. The scars are still fresh…I'm still in therapy," she joked.

Faith smiled and took a better look at Dawn. She seemed older somehow. Time, or maybe Buffy's death, had certainly taken its toll on the young girl. Faith sighed, thinking about Buffy just reminded her of those confusing dreams she's been having. She knew that she needed to figure them out, before it was too late to help Buffy. The waffle popped up from the machine, causing Faith to jump slightly. Dawn stifled a giggle, "Jumpy are we?" she asked, grinning at the brunette.

"Chill D, didn't anyone every tell you not to mock an ex-con?" Faith placed the waffle on the empty plate and returned to her seat. Just as she sat down, Willow and Tara came through the door.

"Hey," Willow said cheerfully as she entered the room.

"Hey Red," turning towards Tara, Faith continued, "How's the noggin Blondie?"

Tara placed her hand on her forehead, "I'm fine Faith," she replied quietly. Noting Willow's frowning face, Tara turned towards her saying, "Willow, Sweetie, I told you last night, I'm fine." She placed a reassuring hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Fine, fine. Nurse Rosenberg is officially off-duty," she said, sitting down next to Dawn. She stole a waffle from Dawn and began to eat it.

"Hey," Faith complained, "How come she gets a waffle?"

Dawn grinned, "'Cuz I like her better." Willow grinned back at the 16-year old.

Faith sighed, "That hurts D, that hurts." She threw her napkin at the giggling girl and got off her stool. "So, what's on the agenda for today? Some sleeping, eating, maybe a little television watching…"

"More like school, work, and slaying. Just another day of fun at the Summer's house," Dawn said, groaning as she picked up her backpack. "See you guys later."

"Tara and I are having dinner over at Xander's tonight, so we won't be seeing you till later on…k?" Willow explained, glancing sideways at Tara, who was frowning.

"Dinner? At Xander's? How come I'm not invited," Dawn whimpered, sticking out her bottom lip, pulling off an excellent 'puppy dog face'.

"Because it's an adult thing," Tara explained, placing a comforting hand on Dawn's shoulder. That girl looks out for everybody, Faith thought.

"Well I'm an adult. How come I'm not invited?" Faith whimpered, doing her best imitation of Dawn's face.

"Um, well, because it's a…a…" Willow stammered, looking towards Tara for help. But Tara only turned her gaze away from the stumbling witch.

"Because it's a friend's thing," Xander said from the doorway, his eyes glaring at Faith, "And psycho slayers who spent to past two years as some butch-chick-named-Bertha's sex bitch don't really apply."

"Xander," Faith said, stepping closer to the angry man.

"What are you doing back here, Faith? I thought this town finally got rid of all its garbage."

"Xander," Willow pleaded, "Don't start, please."

Shock crossed the young man's face, "Ok, what alternate dimension have I stumbled into. Willow, you hate her. Remember? Faith equals evil. She held you at knifepoint, and tried to kill all humanity with Mayor Sugar-Daddy. Is any of this ringing a giant old bell here?"

Faith's tough composure fell at the mention of the mayor. Even though he was clearly evil, he was still one of the few people in the world who had actually cared about her. Her gaze fell upon the quiet Wicca and the young Summers, the only two who had given her the benefit of the doubt, no questions asked.

Dawn, who had remained silent through Xander's rant, stepped forward between Xander and Faith. "Look, Faith's staying here. It's what I want and it's what Buffy would want." Xander opened his mouth to interject, but Dawn stopped him. "I know my sister better than anyone here, and she would want Faith to stay. She would want Faith to prove to you what I already know, that she's changed." Faith could feel her eyes begin to sting and she quickly rubbed back the tears. It's been a while since anyone has stood up or me, she thought.

Xander's mouth had dropped after Dawn's comment, and he had finally regained his composure. "Ok, fine, you want to bunk up with a knife-happy slayer, that's your business. Will, I'll see you tonight." With that, Xander turned and pouted as he walked out the door, grumbling something about putting bars on all the windows.

"Well, that went well. I think that went well, don't you all think that went well?" Willow babbled, turning towards the group.

A deep chuckle escaped Faith's throat as she turned towards Willow, "Face it Red, Xand Man's not ready to forgive and forget. Don't worry; I'm still five by five, yo. I stomped on his ego, his friends, his life; it's going to take a while for him to march in my parade."

Willow sighed and checked her watch "I gotta get going. Come on Dawnie, I'll drive you." She through her arm around the brunette and led her to the car.

Faith sighed, resting her elbows on the counter and gazed at the blonde. "How do you do it Tara?" Tara's face filled with confusion, and Faith continued, "How do you have such faith in people?"

"I know what I see Faith," she said quietly, "You aren't the same girl I met before." Faith looked down at the mention of their previous meeting. Tara continued, "Its ok Faith," she took the slayer's hand in her own, "I trust you." She gave Faith's hand a little squeeze before exiting the kitchen.

Faith stood alone in the kitchen, once again being drawn back to her dreams. She walked into the living room and lay down on the couch. Crossing her arms across her chest, Faith soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"It has to be tonight," Willow said, "The stars are in alignment, we have the urn, it has to be done."

Xander stood up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up here Will. Are you sure we're ready for this? I mean, are we sure that this will work?"

"Yeah, I mean, if something doesn't add up right, if one of the components aren't there, everything could go wrong," Anya added.

"Guys, it has to be this way. It has to be tonight, right Tara?" Willow commented, turning towards her girlfriend for support.

Tara remained silent for a moment, "I-If we are going to do this, it has to be tonight."

"If?" Willow asked, upset that Tara wasn't in full support of this. "We all agreed to do this. We all said it was what needed to be done. Am I the only one keeping that promise?"

"No, Will. Look, we all want Buffy back. We just don't, ya know, want…" Xander's voice trailed off as he searched for the words.

"We don't want her to come back wrong," Anya finished. "These things can go horribly wrong, Willow. She could come back, or something could come back in her place."

"Guys, everything is set. If you're having second thoughts…"

"We're not, we're good Will," Xander said, speaking for the others.

"Good, then let's go. We have to get things set up. The stars align at 10:37, and that's when we do it. That's when we bring Buffy back," Willow stated, grabbing her bag and heading out the door towards the cemetery. The others followed, reluctantly as doubt filled their minds. Could they pull this off? Could they bring Buffy back? And what would happen if they didn't?

* * *

"Faith, wake up," Dawn said, shaking the sleeping slayer.

"Five more minutes," Faith grumbled, rolling over on her side.

"Faith! Come on, it's time to go slaying. Demons and vamps won't wait for you to finish your cat nap!"

"Since when did you become so demanding?" Faith asked, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

"I'm Buffy's sister, remember? I learned from the best," Dawn explained, grinning.

Faith thought a moment, "Very true. B always was a little brat." She stood up, stretching out her limbs. She made another grumbling noise and she shook off the remnants from her sleep. "Alright, I'll do a quick sweep of the graveyard and then I'll be back."

"I don't need a babysitter, Faith," Dawn stated.

"I know, but I might," Faith joked, winking at the young Summers, grinning when she elicited a smile from the girl. "I'm just gonna go change. You should sit down Half-Pint, take a load off."

Faith headed up the stairs towards Buffy's room. "Now if I were Buffy, where would I hide my weapons?" She rummaged through the closet, finally emerging with Buffy's chest. "Aha, good old reliable B." She lifted the top off, revealing the secret compartment below. Faith's heart stopped when she saw which weapon was on top. It was her knife, the one from her nightmares. The knife that the mayor had given her. The knife that Buffy had used to try to kill Faith. "Why would she keep this?"

"Because she felt guilty," Dawn commented. Faith turned her head towards the door where Dawn now stood. "She never forgave herself for what she did to you."

"What she did? I caused it, I started it…" Faith shook the memories out of her head. "I need…I need to go," Faith said, grabbing the knife and running out of the room. Faith didn't know where she was going, but the memories of the blonde slayer were too much for her to handle. She couldn't accept the idea that Buffy felt guilty for what happened. Faith was the "bad" one, the disease that destroyed everyone's life. Her mother had always told her that she was worthless.

"Arg!" Faith screamed. I need to kill something, she thought, heading towards the cemetery. "Watch out vamps, your about to get a wicked surprise."

**Ok, so again thanks for reading, and for reviewing. I'll update soon, and let me just say, Buffy WILL be back in the next update!**


	6. The Key

**Ok, and now, BUFFY! Lol. Sorry if this chapter is hideous. It was late and I was trying to finish it quickly. Well, thanks for all the reviews. It means a lot that you guys like this story. Well, onto Chapter Six!**

**Chapter Six: The Key**

Faith ran through the cemetery, grumbling in annoyance as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. The memories filled her mind, driving her to the edge. Her legs burned as she increased her speed. She tore through the cemetery; tombstones flew by her as she searched for some release. She had to talk to her, to Buffy. Faith changed direction, heading toward the blonde slayer's grave. Suddenly Faith stopped. "What the…?" she asked, confused when she heard Willow's voice through the fog. Slowly, Faith crept up behind a tombstone and peered around it. Her eyes widened at the sight that lay before her.

Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya surrounded Buffy's grave. Willow was lighting the fifth candle, placing it next to Buffy's tombstone. "Osiris, hear my call," Willow began, "We beseech you, let her cross over."

The ground around the group began to shake and Faith used the tombstone to steady herself. A flash of light crossed the sky, opening a portal. "Who dares call upon me," a voice boomed through the night sky.

"Here lies the warrior of the people. Killed by mystical forces. Release her and let her cross over," Willow began chanting underneath her breath.

"This task cannot be completed," the demon roared.

Confusion filled Willow's face, "We have brought everything for the offering. You must grant us this wish."

"Silence mortal! One life cannot simply be brought back. There is an order that must be kept. A sacrifice must be made."

"A sacrifice? What sacrifice?" Xander asked Willow. "I thought you said we have everything."

Guilt crossed her face, "Well, there was something else in the spell, but I'm not exactly sure what it calls for."

"W-What did it say?" Tara asked her girlfriend.

"It said that blood must be shed," Willow began.

"Who's blood?" Xander asked.

"The blood of the key," Willow explained, looking down.

"The key? You mean Dawn," Xander asked.

"I-It can't be though. G-Glory drained her of her energy. She's not the key anymore," Tara explained.

"Well if it's not Dawn, then who?" Anya asked.

Faith sat behind the tombstone, taking in every word that the group was saying. "The key?" Realization hit the young slayer as the memories filled her head…

_"Like I said Faith, if you really want me back, you'll find a way. Things are already in motion, things that you can't stop. Now you can either save yourself or," Buffy jammed the knife into Faith's side, "or you can join me."_

"_So, if I'm the key, where's the door? Where's the damn house?"_

"_Closer than you think Faith. It's a pretty little house, actually. Tiny, yet sturdy, white picket fence, red roof. Quite adorable really," Buffy said, watching as the dark slayer began pacing. "You'll figure it out eventually, Faithy."_

Faith glanced down at the object in her hand; the knife. "The key," she sighed, clutching the knife tightly in her hand. Looking up at the sky, she grinned, "Ok B, message received loud and clear." Faith removed herself from her hiding spot and headed toward the group.

"F-Faith," Tara started, "W-What are you…?" She stopped when she saw the object in Faith's hand. She'd seen it before, she knew what it meant. "Oh my god."

"Tara what?" Willow asked.

Xander also noticed the knife, "See, I told you all. She's here to kill us. Look how easy we made it for her. Well Faith, enjoy the kill. Try not to twist the knife so hard in our backs this time."

"S-She's not here to kill us, Xander," Tara explained, allowing her gaze to drift from the slayer to the young man.

"Yeah, don't sweat it Xand. This baby has always been meant for only one person. It's owner. The Key," Faith stated, slowly turning the knife in her hand. "Sometime destiny really is a bitch." She held back the tears, she wouldn't give in to the pain.

Enlightenment crossed Willow's face, "The prophecy, 'Death is your gift'.

"Yeah, guess it's not meant for Buffy," Faith said. "Well Red, what are you waiting for. Get a-chantin'." Willow remained silent. Faith grinned, "It's ok Red. What's one less hot chick in this world, huh?"

Willow nodded and began chanting, calling forth Osiris once again.

"You have the sacrifice," Osiris boomed.

Faith nodded, "Guess that's my cue." She looked down at the knife in her hand. "Well B, goodbye." She grunted, stabbing the cold steel into her midsection, masking her old scar with a new wound. She cringed and fell to her knees on top of Buffy's grave. "Damn, hurts twice as much the second time around." Faith slowly felt her life draining away. Her eyelids struggled to remain open, but failed. She fell forward, knocking her head on the gravestone. She didn't move, her breathing slowed and finally ceased.

"It is done," Osiris' voice rumbled through the night as he disappeared.

"Done? What happens now?" Xander asked. When Willow remained silent, he asked again, "Will! What's the next move?"

"I…I don't know. Buffy should be here. The action is done. I…I don't understand," Willow said, confusion in her voice.

Tara crawled towards Faith, feeling for a pulse. "Will, we have to get Faith to a hospital," she shouted.

"I'll take her," Xander volunteered, "Willow and Ahn, you two stay here, in case…" his voice trailed off. He pulled the slayers arm around his shoulder and lifted her up. "Call us if anything…"

"We will," Willow said, staring at Buffy's gravestone.

Xander and Tara nodded and rushed away with Faith, hoping beyond all hope that she would be ok; and hoping that soon, both slayers would be home.

Willow stared into the darkness of the cemetery. "I don't understand."

"These things take some time. I mean, it's not like making a quarter disappear, there's some real magic going on here," Anya explained.

"I know that, "Willow snapped.

"Well don't get all huffy. I'm just saying it's no easy task bringing someone back from the dead. It could take some time. Slayer blood certainly could speed up the process though. I mean, there were countless resurrection attempts back in my day that went horribly wrong. Sometimes people came back without memories of who they were. Sometimes demons would follow the souls, ya know, like latch onto them to get to this world. One time, this silly little warlock tried to resurrect his sweetheart, and she came back in the form of a dog. He should have been more careful where he placed the urn. I mean, this pair was an odd match even before she was on all fours…"

"Anya, stop helping. Buffy's strong, she'll come back…" Willow's voice trailed off as the ground started to shake. "What's…?"

A blue light fell over the grave, exploding into the ground. Suddenly a hand shot up from beneath the grass.

Willow and Anya backed away from the site, horror filling their faces.

The figure pulled herself out of the coffin, her eyes landing on the duo. Confusion filled her face, but it was the same face that Willow knew. Willow moved forward towards the figure, only to cause the figure to tremble in fear.

"Will, stop," Anya said, pulling the redhead back.

"Is it…Is it really you?" Willow asked, tears sliding down her face.

The figure remained silent, but she stood up, looking around her in horror.

"Buffy?" Willow asked, taking a step forward.

Buffy's eyes shot open in horror at the redhead's movement. She swallowed hard, cringing at the feeling. "Who…who are you?" she asked, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground.

Willow rushed to her side, feeling for a pulse. "She's alive," Willow stated joyfully, "She's alive, Anya. We did it!"

Anya, who appeared less enthused, simply replied, "I think we should get her to a hospital." The duo carefully lifted the slayer off the ground and headed towards the hospital. Willow's mind was filled with thoughts, memories of the slayer. Anya's mind, on the other hand, had only one thought ever since she heard Buffy speak, 'we screwed up…she came back wrong'.


	7. Who Are You

**Hey guys. So I know it's been a few years since I've updated this story on this site. Sorry about that. I was distracted by other pairings (mostly Naomi/Emily from SKINS and Ashley/Spencer from South of Nowhere), but I'm back! I've been writing for a femslash site recently. Message me if you would like the link to that site. There's a lot of great stories on there, and I've been updating this story on there too. Anywho, I hope there is still an interest in this fic, because I really do love this pairing. Thanks guys!**

**-Heather**

**Chapter Seven: Who Are You?**

"Buffy?" Willow's soft voice rang through the air. She and Anya had managed to somehow carry the unconscious slayer to the hospital. The doctors checked her stats and said that her heart rate was elevated, but other than that she was in perfect health. Willow found that funny: perfect health. Twenty minutes earlier Buffy has been dead, buried in the Sunnydale Cemetery. Now here she was, in perfect health. She rested her hand on Buffy's shoulder and repeated, "Buffy?"

The blonde slayer began to move, her eyelids gradually opening. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the figure in front of her. She swallowed deeply, motioning for Willow to hand her a glass of water. The redhead obliged, gazing deeply into the blonde's eyes. "Buffy? Can you hear me?"

Buffy nodded her head, and slowly ran her tongue along her lips. "Y-Yes," she said softly.

"Oh Buffy!" Willow gasped, leaning forward and throwing herself onto the stunned slayer.

"Um, who are you?" Buffy asked, shaken by Willow's actions.

Willow pulled herself quickly off of Buffy, confusion covering her face. "It's me... Willow. Your best friend."

Buffy's eyes narrowed slightly, straining for a memory: a glimpse of familiarity. "Willow," she started, "I'm sorry, I don't...I don't remember anything."

Willow stood up slowly, "Let me just... let me get the doctor," she said, hurrying herself out the door, leaving a confused Buffy behind her.

_ What's going on_, Buffy thought, looking around the room, trying to get her bearings. Her gaze was turned toward a figure who appeared in the doorway. The man balanced himself against the wall, his eyes tearing up as he slowly moved toward her bed. "C-Can I help you?" she asked him warily.

"Buffy," Xander said, inching towards the fallen slayer. "You...you're alive?"

"I don't...I can't..." she started, struggling for the words.

"She can't remember anything," Willow explained from the doorway.

Xander took a step back from Buffy's bed, turning his anger-filled gaze toward Willow. "What did we do, Willow?"

Willow, caught off-guard at her friend's harshness, replied "N-Nothing. She just needs some time. Some time to heal."

Xander shook his head, "What did we do?" he whispered softly.

Tara appeared silently next to Willow, slipping her hand into the redhead's and offering a comforting squeeze. "Faith's been stabilized," she stated softly, "The doctor said we can see her now...if we want."

Willow took one more glance at Buffy, who remained emotionless, staring straightforward in her bed. She nodded and allowed Tara to lead her out of the room.

"I'll stay here," Xander said, sitting in a chair next to Buffy, "In case..." his voice trailed off as Buffy looked at him. "Just in case."

Willow nodded her head and turned away from the quiet hospital room. Tara led her down the hall, gripping the redhead's hand tightly as they wandered the corridor toward the ICU. "They said that she coded twice on the table," Tara explained quietly.

Willow shook her head and buried her face in her hands, "Tara, Faith almost died and Buffy can't remember anything. You were right. You were right all along. We..we were messing with forces, dark forces that we shouldn't have messed with and..." her voice trailed off as the duo stopped outside Faith's room.

"Shh," Tara whispered, placing her hands on Willow's shoulders. "Shh, baby. Faith's strong. She'll survive this. And Buffy... She's alive. We... we'll help her through this. We'll be ok, Will."

Willow looked deeply into Tara's eyes, "Promise?" Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke.

Tara gave her a small smile and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "Yes, I promise." She grabbed Willow's hand in her own and nodded toward the door. "You ready?"

Willow bit her lip and nodded her head. "As I'll ever be."

Willow and Tara entered the small, dimly lit hospital room and were met with a steady beeping of Faith's heart monitor. They moved closer to the bed and Willow sat down in the seat, leaning forward towards the sleeping Slayer. Tara sat on the bed and took Faith's hand in her own. The beeping continued as both girls sat in silence by the fallen Slayer's bedside. Willow smiled softly, "She's got a strong heart," she said, motioning toward the monitor, "No wonder her blood was needed to bring back Buffy. She's the only one strong enough to make it happen."

"So it worked then?" Faith said, her voice raspier than usual.

Tara and Willow looked down and noticed that Faith was awake, squinting at them as if the light were burning her eyes. She licked her dry lips and spoke again. "Well, don't keep me waitin', did it work? Is everything five-by-five again?"

Tara nodded and squeezed Faith's hand. "Yeah, you did it. You brought Buffy back." She smiled as Faith's face lit up.

"Hey, Red had the mojo, I just spilled a little blood. All in a days work, if ya ask me," Faith joked, struggling to hold her emotions in. Buffy was back, all was right in the world again.

"Faith, you almost died. You did die. How can you just joke..." Willow started.

"Hey, B died twice. Just figured I would even up the odds a little. Can't have her havin' all the fun now, can I?" Faith smirked. "So, where is Big Sis? Someone owes me a lotta praise, and I intend on bankin' on it." Faith noticed the looks between the two witches and felt something pull in her chest. "Hey guys, what's the what, huh? She's...she's all good right? Same old brat?" Willow's eyes filled with tears and she looked away from Faith, which only angered the brunette more. "Hey! Enough with the silent treatment! Where's Buffy?" Fear was slowly creeping in as the silence raged on.

Tara cleared her throat. "She's alive Faith, but...she's not back. Not really."

"Ok, ya gotta stop with the riddles, Blondie. You're givin' me the creeps now. What happened out there?"

Tara sighed, "She can't remember. She can't remember anything. Us. Her life. Anything."

Faith's lips parted but no sound emanated from them.

"We don't... we don't know if it's permanent. We don't know much of anything really," Willow started, turning the brunette's attention toward her, "Faith, I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I don't know..."

"Shut it, Red," Faith said through gritted teeth, "Don't do that. Don't say sorry. We got our girl back from the dirt, now let's just...let's get her back to fightin' form." Faith closed her eyes and pushed herself up in her bed. "We gotta get B back." She threw the covers off of herself and pulled the lines out of her skin.

Tara looked alarmed and grabbed at Faith's hands to stop her, but all she received was a glare that told her to leave her be.

"Take me to her. Take me to Buffy."


End file.
